How to Mate Boxer Dogs

Breeding any type of dog, including a boxer, requires a large amount of time, money and emotional energy. The appeal of having adorable little puppies in your home and then selling them to make money is in reality, a very difficult task. Make sure you understand all phases of dog breeding, raising puppies and selling before you commit to breeding your boxer.

Things You'll Need

• Male dog
• Female dog
• AKC paperwork
• Inoculations
• Leash
• Breeding contract
• Muzzle

Instructions

1. Get your boxer’s American Kennel Club (AKC) paperwork in order. The AKC is the entity that registers purebred dogs and keeps track of pedigrees.

2. Make sure your boxer is healthy, especially if you have a female. Get your dog dewormed, and have her heart tested. Get all immunizations and inoculations up to date.

3. Find a suitable breeding partner for your dog. The AKC sets standards for the boxer breed; make sure to compare them to any potential mates. When you are looking for a boxer make sure the head and muzzle are correct proportions; eyes must be dark brown, looking forward and not too small or deeply set; ears are medium-sized and set wide and high on the skull. The boxer coat is short, smooth and glossy with a brindle or fawn coloring.

   To find a stud (male) or bitch (female), take out an ad in a newspaper, research local dog breeders, or ask your veterinarian or pet store to give you recommendations.

4. Sign a breeding contract. Agree to the terms of breeding and sign a contract that outlines the services, breeding arrangements and fees. For example the breeding contract may include, how many attempts at breeding will be allowed and where it will take place. The breeding fee to the stud is usually the first pick of the litter or the money that puppy is sold for.

5. Get the dogs together once or twice before you actually breed them, so they can get to know each other. This is also a good time to see the temperament of each dog and plan whose house the breeding will take place at. Boxers are generally loyal, lively, friendly and playful. They are typically very obedient dogs as well. Boxers trust their family, but may be wary of strangers.

6. Wait for the bitch to come into season or heat, for boxers usually once every six months. Watch for the first day that you see a red bloody discharge. She will stop bleeding around day seven but is usually most ready to mate on the 12th or 13th day of the cycle. Look for signs of swelling in her genital area; she will often move her tail to one side, this is called flagging and is a good sign that she is ovulating and ready to mate. Keep the female away from all other male dogs except the boxer stud you have chosen.

7. Bring the two dogs together for mating. Let the dogs play and interact. Watch from a distance to see that mating has occurred. When the female is ready to mate, she will move her tail to one side, called flagging, so the male can sniff or mount her. If the stud mounts and they mate, the two dogs will be stuck or tied together afterward for approximately 20 minutes, sometimes longer.

8. Get the male and female together again, in 24 hours, to mate again. Mate them two or three times if possible, to give the female a better chance of having a large litter.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not interrupt the process of being stuck together; it is the natural process of making sure the semen is inserted in the female. If the dogs are not holding still, put leashes on them and hold them in place.

• If the female is unfriendly or uncooperative, you may need to use a leash or muzzle her.

References

• K-9: Breeding Dogs
• Boxer Breeding
• Boxer Connection: Breeding

Resources

• American Kennel Club
• AKC Boxer Breed Standards